Tramontana R news - Spanish war - 2009

Stunning? Or stunningly ugly? The TG office is split on this one, so we need your help.

This is the Tramontana R, an open-wheel hypercar fresh out of Spain and packing visuals that make the KTM X-Bow look a bit tame. It’s a bit clichéd to reference the Batmobile when talking about mental stealth supercars, but it seems apt here. Maybe with a bit of cockroach thrown in for good measure.

The Tramontana R is powered by a Mercedes-sourced 5.5-litre V12 fitted with a massive pair of turbochargers to boost power to a monstrous 760bhp and 811lb ft of torque.

All of which makes Tramontana’s claims of a 3.6-second 0-62mph time sound distinctively conservative – though we’re not complaining about the ten second run to 120mph. Long gearing, perhaps?

There’s room for two under the front-hinging canopy – you can wedge a passenger behind you in proper fighter pilot formation (clichéd reference number two). The custom Ohlins suspension allows you to adjust the R’s ride height by up to five centimetres, which brings the total ground clearance to, er, about five centimetres.

We also like the sound of the Caterham R500-style six-speed sequential box, though we’re less keen on the 385,000 Euro price tag. Tramontana reckons it can build 12 Rs this year… but as always, we’ll retain a healthy degree of scepticism until we get a drive in one.

But for now, let’s have this fight: is the Tramontana R as ugly as sin, or are you taken with the pointy looks?